Christen A. Johnson

Writer

Christen A. Johnson has been at the Chicago Tribune since 2017. She writes about relationships, style, family, parenting and African-American life — particularly the joys, pains and nuances within black womanhood. A 2016 Northwestern University graduate, Christen earned her bachelor’s from the Medill School of Journalism, while competing as a Big Ten athlete on the women’s basketball team (no, guys, she doesn’t want to play you one-on-one).

Recent Articles

In the latest episode of “What did Kanye West tweet,” the Chicago-born rapper Twitter-stormed his 28 million followers last night, airing out his many grievances with rapper Drake. With roughly 326 million monthly active users on Twitter — and a whopping 1.4 billion daily users on Facebook — it’s...

Q: You're on a first date. Your date has food in his or her teeth. Do you bring it up? A: Sitting through a date with someone who has something in his or her teeth is insufferable — I totally advocate for honesty. It’s about how you tell your date. Be human. Send the news in a light way, not in...

Q: You buy someone a really great baby shower gift, but she doesn't open the presents at the shower. Do you say something? A: Opening gifts at a baby shower is less common than it once was. Sometimes the parent-to-be wants to share the gift opening with her partner, or she could be anxious about...

Millennials thrive off of doing things differently — whether in the workplace, relationships, food choices (we see you, avocado toast) or places to shop. But the thrill of exploring an unbeaten path isn’t enough; millennials like to fill up their homes and lives with distinct, uncommon purchases...

Q: The bride and groom can’t agree on a wedding date. Who gets the final call? A: The only instance when it’s OK to make the final call is when your boo says, “I’m good with whatever date you decide!” More grooms are getting involved with the wedding planning than ever before; this is every bit...

You know Turkey Day is rapidly approaching when inordinate amounts of canned pumpkin puree and oversize frozen fowls start flowing out of your neighborhood grocery store. But despite the excitement (or dread) surrounding the annual family-focused feast, we often overlook the very reason for its...